This is reportedly Flip's desired package if Chicago is going to make a deal for Kevin Love:

Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and the rights to Nikola Mirotic.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/266770031.html

And Chicago doesn't want to budge on it because they are trying to go after Carmello and don't have the money to get both Carmello and Kevin Love.

As much as that deal is kind of deflating to me as a Wolves fan, it's a significant grade better than Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters, and a 1st round pick.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Heat currently working on finalizing deals with Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, involved party tells Sun Sentinel.</p>&mdash; Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/statuses/487723760095858688">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Good enough not to be picking in the top 10 bad enough Cleveland gets their pick next year.

As if the Suns weren't already fun as hell to watch.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Pau Gasol turned down a two-year, $10M-plus per deal with the Lakers, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. Likely moving on.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/487727989933998080">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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No kidding. Definitely getting NBA league pass this year

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LEBRON MESSAGES LIKE �� <a href="http://t.co/ok8B5XZjwd">pic.twitter.com/ok8B5XZjwd</a></p>&mdash; The Orignial Copy (@IKnowRashad) <a href="https://twitter.com/IKnowRashad/statuses/487724189449588736">July 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
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The Lakers a goddamn dumpster fire...ugh...:facepalm:

Don't be stupid. At just 29 years old, LeBron already has the 4th most win shares in NBA history. His playoff WS/48 rate is only bettered by MJ and Mikan. Playoff choker, indeed. LMAO

That shit is funny, the Delonte West one killed me.

So he just might have lost his meal ticket due to his pride? Not sure that's a good thing.

A team led by Bosh/Wade obviously won't be going much of anywhere, although I admit I am interested to see if Bosh is still capable of what he used to do 5 years ago.

5 years/118M? Bosh would have been crazy not to take that money.

His decision is....awesome. But seriously **** Rusty for me wanting him to resign in Miami to spite that homer douche blowmo wannabe.

http://grantland.com/features/god-loves-cleveland/
Once I get over the fact that Bill Simmons is such a ridiculous fan boy of Boston (at least he admits it...), I realize what a brilliant writer he is. This is about the best summation of Lebron I've seen. Says almost everything I've always wanted to say but much better about his place in history, while acknowledging his greatness, and throwing in some real smart commentary about why he made the decisions he made.

Agreed.
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If you're Cleveland, isn't Gasol + Wiggins better than Love?

Didnt Gasol have more win shares than Kobe during their titles runs?

This. Although you know that Cavs fans like him would have never wanted to take him back if it wasn't for what he could do for them (i.e., championships for Cleveland).

I would think absolutely. Wiggins' potential is more than worth it.

Not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me. Gasol was a fantastic player during those seasons, one of the best in the NBA.

I hope they keep wiggins, they say he will play for the cavs in summer league tonight.
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Absolutely. But only because Love is going to cost you some serious trade bait and a shitload of cash, whereas Gasol + Wiggins cost you no players or picks and can play on the cheap. I also think they fill in gaps the Cavs badly need. Wiggins brings defense, Gasol brings a more stable post presence. Gasol + Wiggins + Lebron + Allen and/or James Jones makes this team really dangerous.

If Wiggins does play tonight they have to sign him first and then he can't be traded for 30 days. They also risk an injury ruining any trade. I would think if Wiggins plays then he won't be involved in any trade talks.

I've always thought Wiggins had Durant-ish like potential.


What team wouldn't want a Durant/LeBron combo on their team.

Why do people seem to think Dwayne Wade sucks? He's had productive as shit years the last two years. He's banged up, not what he used to be, but he's easily a Top 20 player.

Probably not.

I'd rather bring in Love, and find a big man who can't score but can defend. Call it a day. Gasol's days are numbered. Wiggins will struggle for at least two years then I expect him to take off.

I think from a raw skill set, yes. I don't think Wiggins has or ever will have the kind of killer instinct Durant has. But this role as third sidekick is absolutely perfect for him especially with the best facilitator in the game, Lebron. And I like his fit a lot better than Kevin Love. I think the Cavs are going to have a LOT of work to do getting Kyrie and Waiters to play less selfish basketball and within a system, let alone play a balanced game of defense and offense. So I think a guy like Wiggins who will probably be an unselfish system player early on in his career is exactly what they need.

Think it has more to do with having a guy making that much money that has to sit every other game just to keep his legs fresh in the playoffs.

And wiggins will just be maturing then, a couple years of him and Lebron at top and then as Lebron ages wiggins takes over and helps get him a couple more rings...perfect scenario.

Simmons should have included that in his genius article.

If they keep wiggins they might already have his successor, with Lebron still in his prime.

He might win six.
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Maybe he should do more fist pumps? Do the double guns when he makes the and one like Embiid? Tell people he kills lions?? I'm not sure where this stigmata comes from. By all accounts Wiggins was one of, if not the hardest working player on the team, and a great teammate. Just because you aren't flailing your arms around showboating after a dunk all the time doesn't mean you don't care or don't have a killer instinct. I seem to remember Wiggins going ape shit at the end of the game on Florida to almost win the game, a run I've never seen any KU player due in my entire life. Just drilled everything, completely took the game over at the end

I don't think I'd trade Wiggins. Obviously the Cavs won't likely win a championship next year without adding a top player, but I don't think the better chance for one year is worth the risk of giving him (and all his potential) up.

I agree. Next season will be their year.hopefully they get everyone else on the same page this year.
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LMAO

How many top players does he need?

Well Jordan needed 2 or 3, so just having Kyrie Irving probably isn't going to do it. And as much as I think Kobe is a ball hogging shit machine at times, he did only need 1 or 2.

Wiggins in college could take over games any time he wanted to. He hesitates at times, sometimes plays too unselfish. He could develop that part of his game, but I feel like in most instances, you have it or you don't. It won't keep him from being an excellent player one day. At least for now, I don't think you want him to be "the guy" and I think even down the road, you may want to pair him up with a closer.

Who did Jordan have that was a top player other than Pippen?

Kukoc was pretty good, rodman was pretty good
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They weren't top players

And he won multiple titles without either.

IMO, Wiggins made the wrong college choice from a productivity standpoint. The Bill Self offense is about the worst possible offense Wiggins would be suited to. If he played for UNC or UK he would have averaged 20+ PPG a game. I don't think pairing him up with Lebron is going to be great for his long term development, but it would be good for the Cavs. I'd like to see Wiggins traded and bloom on his own, show everybody that he can be THE ALL STAR, and get people to stop talking about this "he's not an alpha dog" nonsense. I think he should just start telling people he killed grizzly bears in Canada when he was growing up. I think the media would eat that up, gush at his "tenacity" or some dumb shit.

Kukoc was generally regarded as the top foreign player. Rodman was a ****ing monster.

And he did. True. No one is mj though.
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Jordan needed a supporting cast too. The reason I always think MJ will be untouchable is that in the last 5 minutes of the game, it didn't matter who was on the court with MJ. There are instances here and there of him passing the ball. But he was basically going to own the ball, everyone knew he was wanting to shoot it every single time, and he was still unstoppable.

Why would Lebron be bad for his development?
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Wiggins has a ton of work to do. He has to improve his jump shot. More importantly, he has to put a ton of time developing a left. It's a really good deal for him to be in an offense like this where for the first few years, what's expected of him is to run the system, share the ball, and watch the opportunities that open up when Kyrie and Lebron are opening up teammates.

Not much offense in this Cavs-Bucks matchup. Wiggins-Parker probably a little nervous for their first game

I'll give you that, it was amazing. While exciting, it is USUALLY a foolish way to play basketball. Look up studies regarding guys like Kobe Bryant, who many people regard as "clutch", and it can be proven that he routinely hurts his team by playing hero ball down the stretch of games, going one on one and jacking up a forced shot instead of running offense, moving the ball, and getting the ball the open man, regardless of who it is. This is something Lebron doesn't mind doing, he doesn't care if he gets the last shot, he doesn't care how it's done, he just wants the win the game. It's quite logical, that if you get double teamed, or are in a position for a bad shot you get rid of it rather than be prideful and try to just "be the man" or the "alpha dog". Lebron is the most efficient player in basketball, it's one of the reasons his win shares is so high. In that sense, Lebron doesn't have an ego.

Have to consider the Spurs and Thunder the favorites this season.

Absolutely this

Not true. He can play without signing, but he'd be stupid to without insurance.

Jabari Parker is a stud.

It would be stupid to trade Wiggins for love.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Atlanta making aggressive, late pitch for Pau Gasol, league sources tell Yahoo. $11M-plus a year, sources say. Gasol likely passes on offer.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/487757603716358144">July 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Parker and Wiggins both look fantastic.

parker and freaky greeky are going to make a nice team. shame they will be coached by Kidd

Uh, in case you hadn't noticed, Luck is pretty ****ing good.

In 2015-16 LeBron will be making about 24MM, Irving 18MM and Wiggins 6. That's $48 million committed to those three guys. Good luck finding another 19 for Love.

If they are going to bring in Love they need to get rid of Irving.

Wiggins has shown me more in this game than any game in his 1 year at KU.

Parker reminds me alot of Pierce

Those will be empty stats. Miami needed his rebounding the last four years and he couldn't give it to them.

What stops you from jamming him up from 15+ feet out and making him beat you off the dribble? He's not a strong finisher.

Sure, but that's not what was at issue, and Luck wasn't all that as a rookie. Record-wise, Manning was improved upon by a rookie in the year following the Painter debacle.

The Heat's third option appears to be Ariza or Deng. Should be good enough for the 8th playoff spot.

He played 54 games last year, never had to play back-to-backs, had at least one day off in between every playoff game (and often much longer stretches) and was completely ineffective. He can't consistently create his own shot, can't shoot from outside, his legs don't have lift, and his lateral quickness is gone.

He couldn't do anything when LeBron sat during the playoffs.

Not only is he not a top 20 player, he's not a top 50 player. He will get a big contract, but he's not worth much more than the mid-level exception.

His quickness off the dribble is a strength. With Bron it wasn't utilized as his role was to be a spot up shooter and to provide spacing. He'll be expected to do more and go back to his Toronto skillset as the #1, max guy on the team. We'll have to see if he can.

I agree
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I can't believe Bosh got a $118 million deal. I mean I can... but I have never been a huge fan of the guy. He's always seemed soft to me, even when the Heat signed him. He's certainly not a 10-12 rebound/game guy anymore. If he was... where has it been the last two years? LeBron wouldn't be loading up the trucks for Cleveland now if he still was.

Yep. My suggestion after the Finals was for him to try to be 6th man of the year. He would be pretty good in the Manu role for the Heat but alas he is going to have to play alot more minutes now than he should.

Riley shit his pants and reached
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Riley was just given a gut punch and reacted in the worst possible fashion. This was an opportunity to get out from under a really bad contract in Wade and an overpay with Bosh, but he's going to soak up cap space and sacrifice draft position while winning 40 games a year

Riley said he would never agree to do it. I believe the exact quote was "I'd have to take a bat to the meeting."

Wade's solution this offseason is to lose weight. He's delusional about what and where he is at this point in his career.

Yep. He could have been in a great position cap wise for next years free agent class
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With Bron-Bron gone...

Bosh
Gasol
Wade
Deng
Napier
Granger
McRoberts
Haslem

Anyone buying that group?

What a great day to be a Cavs fan. LeBron coming back is great, but having that Miami 1st round pick is icing on the cake. EABOD fake Miami "fans".

Agreed. He was afraid of the whole empire collapsing around him. Miami fans make me laugh, they think Riley is a God. Yeah, it takes a real genius to assemble that Miami team. ROFL

No. It was. Now he's a face-up guy with half of a face-up game. If he was good at breaking someone down off the dribble now, Miami would have spaced the floor and let him do it with a bench unit while LeBron got a blow, and they would have used it as a secondary offensive option to take bigger players away from the paint and get their foul counts up. Alas, that never happened. He camps from 20 feet out and shoots open jumpers now.

I don't think many people understand the way the NBA works. A number one option on any team is going to score almost 20 points a game just based upon the volume of possessions they use.

Shit, Kevin Martin is a near 20 PPG score for his career and he ****ing blows.

From my understanding they would have to overpay for someone because they have to meet the salary floor of $56 million. But I agree I wouldn't be giving big long contracts to either of those guys.

I remember when we were discussing Rose earlier this year and him not having his meniscus removed. That is clearly the issue with Wade and you have to think there is no way he is going to get much better.

Oh really? The 50th best player in the NBA averages 20 ppg, 5apg, 5rpg, while shooting 54% from the floor....all the while being hobbled? UNREAL

Yup. That's why people criticizing Rose don't get it.

Wade in his own words regarding his meniscus:

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miam...emoved-college

By all accounts, Wiggins is having an off shooting night. Only 1-7 from three, but 7-16 from the field still, with 18 points in the 3rd qtr.

Do you have any idea what dozens of guys could do in the NBA if they didn't have to play back-to-backs, never had to guard the opposing team's best player, and never were guarded by the other team's best defender?

Wade was given the softest schedule imaginable and still broke down, and although he may be in south Florida, he isn't any closer to the fountain of youth than that Spaniard **** Ponce de Leon.

Please show me your study and experience where you played back-to-back games and it severely hampered your ability to play basketball. BTW, 54 of 82 games is like over 65% of the games. So he had to play back to back games at some point. I'm sure D Wade could have played more games if they wanted him to, but it was a risk reward situation. The heat weren't' in a playoff hunt race, they were already a lock. There really wasn't any point in risking it.

Hamas has been a dumb ass regarding Wade and Bosh for 4 years now glad to see he is still keeping it up.